Practice English Reading Exercises for B1 – Extracurricular Activities & Clubs 10
Reading 1
For each question, choose the correct answer.
The Power of Silence
I joined my school’s Film Criticism Club last month because I love watching movies and discussing them with my friends. Usually, we choose modern action films with incredible special effects and loud explosions. So, when our club teacher, Mr. Harris, announced that this week’s choice was a black-and-white silent comedy from the 1920s, I honestly felt quite disappointed. I had never watched anything that old before, and I was absolutely sure I was going to fall asleep in the dark classroom.
When the lights went out and the film began, I sighed quietly. The screen looked grey and unclear compared to the high-quality digital movies I usually watched. There was absolutely no speaking, just some old-fashioned piano music playing in the background. For the first ten minutes, I found it very difficult to pay attention. I kept checking my watch, waiting for something exciting to happen, and wondering how anyone could enjoy a full-length story without any dialogue or fast-paced action scenes.
However, my attitude slowly began to change. Because the actors couldn’t use words to explain what they were thinking, I had to watch them much more carefully. I suddenly noticed how much they communicated using just their facial expressions and careful body movements. A simple look in an actor’s eyes or a slight change in their smile told me exactly how they were feeling, whether they were sad, angry, or surprised. Without the distraction of loud noises and fast dialogue, the pure emotion of the scene became incredibly clear and powerful. I even found myself laughing out loud at the visual jokes.
By the time the movie finished, I was completely awake and absolutely amazed. I realised that early cinema required a huge amount of skill from both the actors and the audience. Modern films often use amazing computer graphics to keep us entertained, but this simple silent movie had completely captured my imagination. The experience taught me that great storytelling doesn’t always need words to be successful. If Mr. Harris asks for suggestions next week, I will definitely tell him to show us another silent classic!
1 Why was the writer disappointed at the beginning of the club meeting?
(A) He didn’t want to watch a movie with his friends.
(B) He thought the teacher’s movie choice would be boring.
(C) He had already seen the 1920s comedy before.
(D) He wanted to learn how to make modern action films.
2 How did the writer feel during the first ten minutes of the film?
(A) He found it hard to concentrate on the story.
(B) He enjoyed the old-fashioned piano music.
(C) He was annoyed because the classroom was too dark.
(D) He was surprised by the high quality of the digital screen.
3 What did the writer discover as he kept watching?
(A) The movie had loud noises that he hadn’t noticed at first.
(B) The actors used funny dialogue to explain their feelings.
(C) The actors’ faces and movements told the story perfectly.
(D) The visual jokes were too simple to make him laugh.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Modern movies are much better than older ones.
(B) You don’t need spoken words to tell a great story.
(C) Special effects are necessary to capture an audience’s imagination.
(D) Acting in silent movies is easier than acting in modern films.
5 What would the writer write in his diary that evening?
(A) I was right about the movie club today. The black-and-white film was just as dull as I expected, and I fell asleep immediately.
(B) I thought silent movies would be terrible, but focusing on the actors’ expressions actually made me love early cinema!
(C) The silent movie we watched today was okay, but I can’t wait for Mr. Harris to show us an action film with explosions next week.
(D) I learned a lot about early cinema today, but I still believe that a movie needs amazing computer graphics to be truly successful.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states he was disappointed because they were watching an old silent comedy and he was “absolutely sure I was going to fall asleep,” which means he thought it would be boring.
2 A – In the second paragraph, the writer explains that for the first ten minutes, “I found it very difficult to pay attention” and kept checking his watch, which means it was hard to concentrate.
3 C – Paragraph three notes that the writer realised how much the actors “communicated using just their facial expressions and careful body movements,” showing that their faces and actions told the story perfectly.
4 B – In the final paragraph, the writer concludes, “The experience taught me that great storytelling doesn’t always need words to be successful.”
5 B – This option accurately captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: starting with the expectation that the silent film would be boring, but ending in a profound appreciation for how expressions carry the story in early cinema.
Reading 2
For each question, choose the correct answer.
Finding My Voice
I have always enjoyed keeping a diary and writing short stories in my free time, but I had never really tried writing poetry before. When my English teacher announced an after-school creative writing workshop, I decided to join because I wanted to learn a new skill and challenge myself. For our first major assignment, we had to write a personal poem about our childhood and share it with the rest of the group. While I loved writing the poem in the privacy of my bedroom, the thought of reading it aloud made me feel absolutely terrified. I worried it wouldn’t be good enough.
On the day of the workshop, ten of us sat in a circle in the school library. As I listened to the other students read their work, my panic only grew. Their poems sounded incredibly professional, full of beautiful descriptions and clever rhymes. I started comparing my simple poem to theirs and quickly convinced myself that my work was completely embarrassing. I was entirely sure that everyone would laugh at me or say cruel things about my writing as soon as I finished reading my piece.
Eventually, the teacher called my name and it was my turn. My hands were shaking so much that I could hardly hold the piece of paper. I took a deep breath, looked at the floor, and read my poem as quickly as I could. When I finally stopped speaking, I closed my eyes and waited for the terrible comments. To my absolute surprise, the group didn’t insult me at all. Instead, they smiled and told me that my ideas were very original. One older student gently suggested that I change a few adjectives to make the feelings clearer. It was helpful advice, not a personal attack.
That afternoon completely changed how I feel about sharing my creative work with other people. I realised that getting feedback from others is actually a wonderful way to improve, rather than something to fear. When I went home, I rewrote the poem using the group’s smart suggestions, and it sounded so much better. I now understand that constructive criticism is just a useful tool for a writer. I am already planning my second poem, and I actually feel quite confident about reading it to the workshop next week.
1 Why did the writer feel terrified about the assignment?
(A) They did not want to write about their childhood memories.
(B) They had to speak in front of the group about their poem.
(C) They thought their English teacher would give them a bad grade.
(D) They had never kept a diary or written a short story before.
2 How did the writer feel while listening to the other students?
(A) Anxious because the other poems seemed so much better than theirs.
(B) Bored because the other students read their poems too slowly.
(C) Annoyed that everyone was laughing at their simple descriptions.
(D) Inspired by the clever rhymes the professional writers had used.
3 What happened after the writer finished reading?
(A) The teacher told them to read the poem more slowly next time.
(B) An older student complained about the adjectives they had used.
(C) They received kind and useful comments about their writing.
(D) The group remained completely silent because they disliked the poem.
4 What is the writer’s attitude towards constructive criticism now?
(A) They believe it is only useful for writing short stories.
(B) They think it is something every young writer should be afraid of.
(C) They accept that it is a valuable way to develop their skills.
(D) They feel it makes rewriting their poems far too difficult.
5 What would the writer text to a friend about the workshop?
(A) I read my poem today and everyone laughed at it. I knew my writing was embarrassing, so I’m leaving the club.
(B) I was so scared to share my poem, but the group was incredibly supportive. Their advice actually helped me improve!
(C) The creative writing workshop is great, but the other students are so professional that the teacher ignores my work.
(D) I shared my first poem today! The feedback was helpful, but I think I prefer writing in my bedroom where no one can judge me.
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In paragraph 1, the writer explains that while they liked writing the poem, “the thought of reading it aloud made me feel absolutely terrified,” which means they were scared to speak in front of the group.
2 A – In paragraph 2, the writer’s “panic only grew” because the other poems “sounded incredibly professional” and they started “comparing my simple poem to theirs,” making them feel their work was embarrassing.
3 C – In paragraph 3, the group “didn’t insult me at all,” told the writer their ideas were original, and gave “helpful advice, not a personal attack,” which means they received kind and useful comments.
4 C – In paragraph 4, the writer realises that “getting feedback from others is actually a wonderful way to improve” and that constructive criticism is “a useful tool,” showing they accept it as a valuable way to develop.
5 B – This option successfully captures the global meaning and the writer’s emotional arc: acknowledging the intense fear they initially had, the surprising support from the group, and how the feedback improved their work and built their confidence.
Reading 3
For each question, choose the correct answer.
A Global Celebration
When I volunteered to help organise our school’s first Multicultural Festival, I thought it would be a relaxing and enjoyable project. As the leader of the planning committee, my main job was to coordinate the different food stalls. I imagined spending a quiet afternoon hanging up colourful flags, arranging a few tables, and then comfortably sitting back to taste delicious dishes from around the world. I was absolutely certain that bringing different cultures together would be a peaceful, easy task.
However, the reality on the morning of the festival was completely chaotic. Dozens of students arrived at the sports hall at the exact same time, all carrying heavy pots and pans. Suddenly, everyone was shouting for my attention. Some stalls didn’t have enough table space, others desperately needed electricity to keep their dishes warm, and a few students had forgotten their main ingredients. I spent three hours running around in an absolute panic, trying to solve endless problems. My head was aching, and I seriously started to regret volunteering.
When the doors finally opened to the rest of the school, I was completely exhausted. I leaned against the back wall, still feeling highly stressed about a broken microwave. But as I looked across the hall, my feelings suddenly shifted. I saw a group of my friends enthusiastically sharing a plate of spicy Indian curry and sweet Brazilian treats. In the centre of the room, a Colombian student was teaching a traditional dance to a crowd of laughing teenagers from all different backgrounds.
Watching everyone embrace each other’s cultures was a magical sight. At that exact moment, the headache and the exhausting morning were entirely forgotten. The experience taught me that creating something truly meaningful often requires a lot of messy, stressful hard work behind the scenes. Seeing my classmates happily eating and dancing together proved that all the chaotic coordination was absolutely worth the effort.
1 What did the writer expect before the festival began?
(A) He expected to win a prize for cooking the best dish.
(B) He believed the organisation would be a calm and simple process.
(C) He thought nobody would volunteer to help with the food.
(D) He worried that the colourful flags would not arrive in time.
2 How did the writer feel while setting up the food stalls?
(A) Disappointed that the food did not taste as good as he hoped.
(B) Annoyed that the other students refused to listen to his instructions.
(C) Overwhelmed and stressed by the constant problems and demands.
(D) Surprised that so many people had remembered their ingredients.
3 What happened to change the writer’s mood?
(A) He finally managed to fix the broken microwave.
(B) He sat down to eat a large plate of traditional food.
(C) He watched students joyfully sharing food and dancing.
(D) The headteacher congratulated him on his hard work.
4 What did the writer learn from this experience?
(A) Hard work and stressful situations can lead to highly rewarding results.
(B) It is better to hire professionals to organise large school events.
(C) Traditional dancing is the most difficult part of any cultural festival.
(D) Food stalls should always be separated so people don’t argue.
5 What would the writer write in a message to his parents?
(A) I am never volunteering again! The festival was so chaotic that I spent the whole day fixing problems instead of enjoying the food.
(B) I was right to think organising the festival would be easy. Everyone set up their stalls perfectly and the event was very peaceful.
(C) The food was quite nice, but the music for the dancing was so loud that it gave me a terrible headache all afternoon.
(D) Coordinating the stalls was a chaotic nightmare at first, but seeing the whole school eating and celebrating together made the stress completely disappear!
Answer Key & Explanations
1 B – In the first paragraph, the writer states he “thought it would be a relaxing and enjoyable project” and “imagined spending a quiet afternoon,” matching the expectation of a calm and simple process.
2 C – The second paragraph describes the situation as “completely chaotic” where he was “running around in an absolute panic, trying to solve endless problems,” meaning he felt overwhelmed and stressed.
3 C – In the third paragraph, the writer explains that his feelings shifted when he saw friends “enthusiastically sharing a plate” and a student “teaching a traditional dance to a crowd of laughing teenagers.”
4 A – The final paragraph reflects on the lesson learned: “creating something truly meaningful often requires a lot of messy, stressful hard work behind the scenes” but seeing everyone happy proved it was “absolutely worth the effort.”
5 D – This option captures the global meaning and emotional arc of the text: moving from the extreme stress and chaos of coordinating the food stalls to the profound joy and relief of seeing diverse students bonding over food and dance.